Bill to pay $1.8 million to family of slain BSO deputy heads to gov

The House on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to allow the family of slain Broward Sheriff's Office deputy Todd Fatta $1.8 million.

The House voted 114-3 to approve the bill by Rep. Julio Robaina, R-Miami, and Sen. Chris Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale. The bill now heads to the governor.

Fatta was shot in the chest and killed while serving a search warrant in August 2004.

Last year, Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti announced the $2 million settlement and said the law enforcement agency's failure to follow some of its own procedures -- namely the failure to use BSO's SWAT team during the raid -- contributed to Fatta's death.

BSO has already paid $200,000 to Fatta's parents, the maximum allowed under state sovereign immunity laws. To collect the remaining $1.8 million requires the Legislature to pass a special compensation bill.